Friday, April 03, 2026
48.0°F

Fire near Mart Road burns about one acre

CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months, 3 weeks AGO
by CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | July 14, 2025 6:25 PM

MOSES LAKE — A fire near the shore of Moses Lake Sunday afternoon only burned about an acre, but difficult terrain kept Moses Lake Fire Department crews on the scene for a while.  

“We’re really lucky we were able to keep it to one acre. Access to that location is really tricky,” said Heather Kok, CARES coordinator for the MLFD.  

The fire was on unimproved property along the lakeshore near Mart Road and was reported at about 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Fencing around a business, as well as the uneven terrain, made access difficult, according to an MLFD press release.  

“We had it extinguished within 30 minutes,” Kok said, but fire crews were on the scene for about another hour to make sure the fire was completely out.  

Crews were on the scene until about 6:45 p.m. The cause is undetermined, the press release said. 

ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
April 3, 2026 3 a.m.

Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway

EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”

Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
April 2, 2026 1:48 p.m.

Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate

QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.

Othello Community Museum to open April 25
April 1, 2026 3:45 a.m.

Othello Community Museum to open April 25

OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.